Trapped, With No Choice
This evening I attended a short talk and screening for a documentary called "Trapped" at the Brooklyn Historical Society. The documentary was on the struggles of women's clinics, in Texas and Alabama specifically but also on a larger scale, to continue to provide abortion services to their communities despite the legislation being pushed by the state. Suffice it to say, I felt "a way" by the time the credits rolled. That there are still places in this country that all but completely deny women the right to an abortion is astonishing to me. It's 2017 people, get it together! Whether or not you agree with the practice, whether or not you would have one, whether or not you think it's "right". Nothing gives anyone who is not the impregnated woman the right to make that decision other than her. Women's bodies are theirs and theirs alone. They are not property or chattel to be policed and legislated over as deemed "necessary." The fact that in the American south specifically, laws and legislation are currently being written, and passing, that force abortion clinics to close at such high rates is an atrocity. How do these people sleep at night?
What's key is understanding the female demographic that utilizes these clinics. Yes, it's mostly young women. Yes, it's mostly women of color. But all the same, difficult decisions must be made which determine whether or not you will or can carry through with a pregnancy. Not to mention how the pregnancy came to be in the first place. If a young girl from a tough neighborhood is raped at age 13, she should damn well be able to seek abortion services because what 13-year old is ready for motherhood??! Exactly. None. And yet the conservative Right stipulates she should be forced, more than likely against her will, to have the child of her abuser? If a female is abused by a member of her family, she should have to bear the incestuous child of that relationship especially if she doesn't want to? She's to be denied the right to even have a say? What if a woman is pregnant and finds out her body is unable to accommodate carrying a child at the risk of her own life? She should absolutely be able to determine whether or not to continue the pregnancy. What if she's a college student with a bright future and plans ahead of her and knows good and well she isn't ready for a baby? What if she's a young mother on welfare who knows she can't provide for one more mouth? What if she's just a woman who knows she is not cut out for motherhood and doesn't want to bring a child into this world that she's well aware she would not be able to devote her all to? Anyone who makes the decision lightly isn't understanding the gravity of the situation but I find it hard to believe the majority of women and girls having abortions don't understood exactly what they're doing and have their very own personal reasons as to why they want to do it. As a result, this should not be up for discussion, especially on a state level. Roe v. Wade happened. Stop trying to fight it.
Why are men constantly out in the political sphere trying to police women's bodies? YOU are not the ones who have to endure any of this. YOU are not the ones who have to go through the literal, physical strain of carrying and bearing a child. YOU are not the ones who would have to bear the emotional and mental weight of an abortion the most. So tell me why are YOU so concerned? If practiced in a safe and healthy environment, with licensed physicians, there should not be any other public issue. A woman's choice is exactly that. Hers, and hers alone. You may have an opinion and you may choose to voice it but how the voices of those who could never know the intimacies of experiencing an abortion firsthand are somehow designated the most knowledgeable on the subject insofar as to decide whether or not they should be relatively obtainable is beyond me. I sat through the documentary flabbergasted that southern states specifically were and are going to such great lengths to make the road to a safe and healthy abortion full of trials and tribulations for women who desperately need them. Watching the dedication and the tirelessness with which the few providers left banded together to do what they could for pro-choice to be a thing of the present and not just the past was truly inspiring.
An agitating qualifier you run across in attempt to corral pro-choice support is, "Oh, but just think, what if it was your mother/sister/aunt/daughter/friend/cousin, you'd want her to be able to choose." And yes, you would. But you also shouldn't have to think about the woman in question as she would relate to your life in order to see how deep and resonating the issue actually is. Humanizing a woman who chooses to get an abortion shouldn't be necessary because she's already a human herself.
In closing, the work is there to be done. The fight is still raging. We should not, we cannot let reproductive rights go by the wayside in the name of supposed "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Below are some links I found in support of this cause as well as the site for the documentary.
TRAPPED Documentary
Organizations to support and get involved with:
Time Out NY- Where to Volunteer for Women's Rights Orgs in NYC
Volunteer Match: a great site to help you find out how you can help with any cause
National Organization for Women on Abortion Clinic assistance
Planned Parenthood 💖
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What's key is understanding the female demographic that utilizes these clinics. Yes, it's mostly young women. Yes, it's mostly women of color. But all the same, difficult decisions must be made which determine whether or not you will or can carry through with a pregnancy. Not to mention how the pregnancy came to be in the first place. If a young girl from a tough neighborhood is raped at age 13, she should damn well be able to seek abortion services because what 13-year old is ready for motherhood??! Exactly. None. And yet the conservative Right stipulates she should be forced, more than likely against her will, to have the child of her abuser? If a female is abused by a member of her family, she should have to bear the incestuous child of that relationship especially if she doesn't want to? She's to be denied the right to even have a say? What if a woman is pregnant and finds out her body is unable to accommodate carrying a child at the risk of her own life? She should absolutely be able to determine whether or not to continue the pregnancy. What if she's a college student with a bright future and plans ahead of her and knows good and well she isn't ready for a baby? What if she's a young mother on welfare who knows she can't provide for one more mouth? What if she's just a woman who knows she is not cut out for motherhood and doesn't want to bring a child into this world that she's well aware she would not be able to devote her all to? Anyone who makes the decision lightly isn't understanding the gravity of the situation but I find it hard to believe the majority of women and girls having abortions don't understood exactly what they're doing and have their very own personal reasons as to why they want to do it. As a result, this should not be up for discussion, especially on a state level. Roe v. Wade happened. Stop trying to fight it.
Why are men constantly out in the political sphere trying to police women's bodies? YOU are not the ones who have to endure any of this. YOU are not the ones who have to go through the literal, physical strain of carrying and bearing a child. YOU are not the ones who would have to bear the emotional and mental weight of an abortion the most. So tell me why are YOU so concerned? If practiced in a safe and healthy environment, with licensed physicians, there should not be any other public issue. A woman's choice is exactly that. Hers, and hers alone. You may have an opinion and you may choose to voice it but how the voices of those who could never know the intimacies of experiencing an abortion firsthand are somehow designated the most knowledgeable on the subject insofar as to decide whether or not they should be relatively obtainable is beyond me. I sat through the documentary flabbergasted that southern states specifically were and are going to such great lengths to make the road to a safe and healthy abortion full of trials and tribulations for women who desperately need them. Watching the dedication and the tirelessness with which the few providers left banded together to do what they could for pro-choice to be a thing of the present and not just the past was truly inspiring.
An agitating qualifier you run across in attempt to corral pro-choice support is, "Oh, but just think, what if it was your mother/sister/aunt/daughter/friend/cousin, you'd want her to be able to choose." And yes, you would. But you also shouldn't have to think about the woman in question as she would relate to your life in order to see how deep and resonating the issue actually is. Humanizing a woman who chooses to get an abortion shouldn't be necessary because she's already a human herself.
In closing, the work is there to be done. The fight is still raging. We should not, we cannot let reproductive rights go by the wayside in the name of supposed "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Below are some links I found in support of this cause as well as the site for the documentary.
TRAPPED Documentary
Organizations to support and get involved with:
Time Out NY- Where to Volunteer for Women's Rights Orgs in NYC
Volunteer Match: a great site to help you find out how you can help with any cause
National Organization for Women on Abortion Clinic assistance
Planned Parenthood 💖
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